WE ARE ALL DETROIT – WHAT STAYS AND WHAT DISAPPEARS
Since the end of the industrial age, Detroit in the US and Bochum in Germany are cities that have undergone fundamental changes. People on both sides of the Atlantic are in search of a new identity.
These two very different cities – Detroit in the US Rust Belt and Bochum in Germany’s former industrial Ruhr region – have something very important in common: they were both significantly shaped by the automobile industry. The beginning and end of Bochum’s automotive industry can also be traced to Detroit. Since the end of the industrial age, people on both sides of the Atlantic have been searching for a new identity. This film introduces us to those affected by the developments and to the players – planners, scientists and politicians – who have been actively involved in the cities’ transformation, all of them announcing promises and visions of a future that is more than uncertain. Despite their differences, the people of Bochum and Detroit are connected by their desire for a dignified and happy life, and this cinematic exploration of the two cities becomes a journey into the hearts of their people.